SOUTHFIELD, Mich., April 25, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) has filed a lawsuit on behalf of several Muslim inmates against the Michigan Department of Corrections for the denial of an adequate diet during the yearly month-long fast of Ramadan.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Michigan Southern Division, challenges a policy that requires Muslim inmates to sacrifice an adequate diet when they elect to participate in the Ramadan fast. Muslim inmates receive less than half the calories that other inmates receive. The suit also challenges a policy that prevents Muslims from maintaining a religiously-mandated, or halal, diet.

CAIR-MI is seeking a court order enjoining the department from denying Muslim inmates an adequate diet during the upcoming month of Ramadan, which is scheduled to commence on or about July 9, 2013.

"The Michigan Department of Corrections' Ramadan policy is discriminatory and subjects Muslim inmates participating in the Ramadan fast to cruel and unusual punishment by denying them a proper nutritional and caloric diet on a daily basis," said CAIR-MI Staff Attorney Lena Masri.

CAIR offers an educational toolkit, called "A Correctional Institution's Guide to Islamic Religious Practices," to help correctional officers gain a better understanding of Islam and Muslims.

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.